Great day trips from SE23 - Discuss them here!

A WIKI page has been created here: https://se23.life/t/great-day-trips-from-se23-list-them-here/12973 which will list all trips in a hopefulyl easy to find format. That will be closed for replies to the thread, but anyone can edit the original post to add in entries.

Please discuss any great trips here and then either add to the WIKI article above, or I or anyone else can.

Anyway I was thinking this as I went to Chislehurst Caves yesterday, and the tour was actually great and they have quite an interesting history. It’s only a 20 or so minute drive. http://www.chislehurst-caves.co.uk/

We took the kids to Dino Golf first then went into the caves which made for a nice day for us and kids.

Anyway, would a ‘day trips from SE23’ be something we could \ should do? I’m happy to get it started, an there are so many good trips going out of London (and into London as well!) but things like good beaches to get to, good family places, great places to visit all within 1-2 hours commuting?

I would be keen. Travelled to Knole deer park today. Mainly on a whim due to nice weather. Lovely for a good walk and saw plenty of deer! Would be good to have such a page for inspiration.

Chislehurst Caves are amazing!

Spent many happy kids day’s out there when my kids were younger!

They always wanted to buy the treasure, rhinestones I think

Godstone Farm was always a favourite too if it still exists

Still exists! My kids like it too!

Ok thanks Pauline and @Sgc Sarah = will set-up a new post to get this started, assuming the moderators don’t object to the format.

Don’t forget Camber Sands, bit more of a drive but the kids love running around in the sand dunes.

And the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace Park.

Albion Millennium Green behind Dartmouth Road is a local treasure too, but don’t tell everyone about this secret

I won’t = I love Camber Sands!

I did a WIKI with help from many others (inc the odd ticking off for me forgetting some parks!) here - think I reviewed it earlier this year so it’s got most - I hope so anyway!

Right thread for adding in great day trips is here: https://se23.life/t/great-day-trips-from-se23-this-them-here/12973

Itchycoo Family Friendly Festival here, private invites normally from local neighbours here:

https://www.itchycoofestival.com/blog

Hope Family Friendly Festival ran by FH Residents and FH Acts with lots of FH Families attending each year here:

https://www.hopefestival.co.uk/

Maybe walks, preferably circular?

Whitstable. Just over an hour. Although if it’s a nice day I’d leave early. Large car park right near the front. Oysters and fish n chips.

5 posts were split to a new topic: Managing “Days out” topic as a wiki topic

Thanks eveyone. @Sgc, @Hollow and @Pauline all your suggestions are now in, but feel free to edit (if you’ve not already, I didn’t add all of them in).

@Edd did you have any walks in mind? I was told there was a really nice one when I stayed in Deal, but I was there for a wedding so didn’t do it.

For walks would certainly list capital ring walk as a suggestion. All mapped out and passes through CP so close by. Certainly discussed with several at one or two socials.

Will have a think of other have been and add to the other page as appropriate. Certainly any tips 're parking always a bonus!!

If you search, there was a topic I started sometime ago on the same topic with many many good suggestions.

Found it here - somewhat ironically I was the first to reply to you, suggesting Camber Sands !

Broadstairs, train from Bromley South, takes 1 & a half hours. Lovely place to relax, beautiful safe beach with kids amenities on it, lots of places to eat & crazy golf

Arundel Castle in West Sussex - I’ve just been and it was amazing! It’s massive and the gardens are lovely (quite compact - at least by country house standards - but designed in a way that there’s a lot of variety. And fountains.). Train via East Croydon. Bit pricey (about £30 off-peak return from Forest Hill, but railcard brings that down to £20) and a full ticket for the castle and gardens is £22. Arundel town is also lovely - small but very steep to reach the top if you want to visit the cathedral. Some nice antique shops and a massive secondhand book shop (speaking of which, there’s an even bigger secondhand bookshop in Rochester - one of the other day out recommendations). From experience (!) I would recommend going to the castle before going to the shops - some of the staircases in the castle keep are very narrow to be navigating with bags of shopping…

It’s worth looking at other local train stations (eg East Croydon, Catford, Bromley South) and seeing what routes they do. From Catford you can get to the Darenth Valley (Eynsford/Shoreham/Otford) which is good for walking and pub lunches. From Catford there’s the Thameslink service (which you can also get from London Bridge) which goes to St Albans. And at London Bridge you can join the Thameslink service to Cambridge.

Thanks @GillB and @blushingsnail have added your suggestions in. I’ve never been to Arundel Castle, might try and go - sounds very nice, if as you say a bit on the pricey side.

I’ve also added Leeds Castle which is great, nice Castle, grounds and lots of activities often.

Good work @oakr. I have added some images to the wiki topic. It’s turning into a really good resource.

Here’s a picture of Leeds Castle I took this year if you’d prefer a different pic:

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Leeds Castle is lovely & very interesting.

Camber Sands (& sea!) this September.

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I would love to learn to WIndsurf one day (which I assume you are doing!) - do you use a club down there or have your own stuff you take down?

Great photos by the way!

I used to windsurf down there 40 years ago but now I’m kayaking, which I have to say is way more knackering (especially after 5hrs 45mins to Hastings and back!).

There is a windsurfing school on a nice lake just before you get into Camber - and I think that same school offers kitesurfing lessons a couple of hundred yards along from the main beach.

The other thing nearby that looks quite exciting is a speedboat excursion from Rye Harbour. I was about 3 miles offshore in choppy conditions the other day and this 12-seater RIB came bombing by crashing through the waves - it looked really exhilerating.

I’ve added Stanhill Farm, following the recommendations here: Pick Your Own Fruit/Veg Farms?

(Sweetcorn is just coming into season, and the maize maze is open too!)

On Camber Sands I went to Rye for the day by train earlier this month - it is so quick now you can get the high speed to Ashford and change.

I also discovered a really well marked and laid out walking route from Rye Harbour to Camber Sands - it was a lovely walk.

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7.5 hours driving. 2 hours on a mountain. Not the day trip I would do every week, but for a proper staycation it was lots of fun and something beyond the usual beaches of Kent and Sussex.